WILCOX — Daybreak Breakfast & Lunch at 202 Marvin St. — near the intersection of U.S. 219 and Route 321 — and will open its doors Wednesday, bringing a homestyle and versatile “rise and shine” menu to the community.
Owner Kassa Kocjancic, a Johnsonburg native and Wilcox resident, said she has always loved the building, formerly Finn’s Family Restaurant and Tannery Town Take-Out. So, when it came up for sale, she knew it was her time to shine.
The location is perfect, she said, being that it’s in a high-traffic area.
Kocjancic has a diverse background work-wise, having bartended and waitressed at the Dam Inn in Wilcox, and graduated from Slippery Rock University with a degree in geology.
The restaurant’s vibe reminds her of being inside of a cabin, displaying lots of woodwork and giving off a rustic and homey feel, she said.
Breakfast is her favorite thing to go out to eat for, said Kocjancic, and there isn’t anywhere in Wilcox or Johnsonburg to do that, hence where Daybreak comes in. It’s also a way to bring another small, local business into the area.
When it comes to the menu, Kocjancic wanted to have enough variety so that everyone could have “their favorite,” like a meat and cheese omelet, sausage gravy over biscuits or chicken and waffles.
Some other menu classics include french toast, pancakes and eggs benedict, and house favorites like a sunrise burger, as well as corned beef hash and breakfast sandwiches, according to the Daybreak Breakfast & Lunch Facebook page.
Kocjancic noted she felt blessed to receive such a response in terms of people eager to work at the restaurant, hiring a couple of cooks and a few servers.
After announcing the restaurant opening, Kocjancic has been overwhelmed with support, she said, from other areas, too, like Ridgway, Kane and Smethport.
“I’m so excited, and lucky to be a part of such a supportive community,” she said.
She’s had a lot of help in creating the menu and her dream business — it has been a team effort, with her two sisters, mom and dad, boyfriend and best friend all pitching in, Kocjancic noted.
She also plans on using a local butcher for the meat, and the restaurant is also a BYOB location, if a customer would like to bring a beer to have with their lunch or a mimosa with breakfast, she said.
Follow Daybreak Breakfast & Lunch on Facebook for updates.
